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SECTOR SCAN = Local Fix
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Vixel
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#1 - 2015-03-22 11:54:09 UTC  |  Edited by: Vixel
WARNING: WALL OF TEXT BELOW

Local cannot and will not be removed from EVE-Online, ever. It has shaped the way this game has been played to its core since the game was created.

Now should CCP change the mechanics to better balance the meta? In most people's opinion, and mine as well, YES they should.

The most effective way to change local mechanics, not **** people off too much and still make things fair? That one is a doozy.

This idea may have been suggested before, but I haven't seen it around recently. Local should lose it's member list settings and just be a chat window with TOTAL PLAYER COUNT displayed and no member list (immediate updating, read below to see why)

The real fix: CHANGE DSCAN...


Firstly, the directional scanner and scanning menus all need a serious art/graphics/UI overhaul... If you change DSCAN to show 1) name of each player in the current system (could be in a completely separate dscan tab) and BOOM, you have just solved the first issue of local, free intel. Now players have to ACTUALLY press a button to receive information about their surroundings. Just one button press and essentially the same information is available to you.

2) Change from DSCAN to SECTOR SCAN. Some of the current limitations of the current scan system are a) its directional, meaning if you're trying to pinpoint a target, if you're off by a slight bit you'll lose him. This adds in more meta, as you have to familiarize yourself with the system layout and then focus on angles between celestial to pinpoint targets. B) Distance: DSCAN's current distance limit keeps it from being the powerful info tool it should be. This also adds more meta. C) Current UI for the scanner is GOD AWFUL. It needs serious work...

3) Change local chat window to simply reflect TOTAL PLAYER COUNT (immediate), and leave it at that.

In walks DSCANs new replacement, SECTOR SCAN...


SECTOR SCAN:

1: GRID: Map solar systems into a 16 sector grid. Break down each individual grid square into 4 sub-squares (for accuracy and precision) for a total of 64 sectors in each solarsystem (Sector 1A-D, 2A-D, etc..). Overlay onto Solar system map.

2: ICON Filtering: Icons for ships, structures, probes, drones, etc to differentiate them. (SECTOR SCAN FILTER instead of using active Overview Settings)

3: Display: Icon, Ship/Structure Make (harbinger/medium caldari tower, etc...), SECTOR Location


WORKFLOW

Hunter:
- Pilot X enters system and presses SCAN. Up comes a nicely filtered list result of everything he wants to have displayed to him.
First tab shows the SYSTEM SCAN result. (Total Player Count, Total Players Docked, Player Name, and Picture). Second tab shows SECTOR SCAN results (Icon, Ship/Structure Make, Sector). Third tab becomes DSCAN, as to not completely remove its functionality for locational pinging.

- Pilot X spots a hulk in sector 4. He then uses his solarsystem map to pinpoint what exactly is in that sector. He notices a planet y, multiple moons, asteroid belts, and a ore field. From here, Pilot X decides to take a closer look. He selects Sector 4 as his area of interest, and performs a SUBSCAN, this time giving him sub-sector results. Pilot X observes the Hulk is in Sector 4B, and there just so happens to be two belts surrounding planet y in Sector 4B. Pilot warps into DSCAN range of Sector 4 to further pinpoint his target between belt 1 and 2.

Prey:
- Pilot Y notices a fluctuation in the total player count from his local chat window. Since the system is usually pretty quiet and this value doesn't change very often, he decides to perform a SCAN to make sure no one is sneaking up on him.

- He notices a new face among the typical crowd of people in his system (Pilot X). He has neutral standing. Pilot Y decides that since this new character doesn't seem like an immediate threat, to simply start pre-aligning out from the asteroid field just in case.

- Pilot Y then checks the sector scan results and looks for unidentified Pilot X by filtering just to ships, and notices a new ship that has just appeared in sector 13. Stargate Z to the adjacent system in located in sector 13, so Pilot Y can immediately identify where Pilot X came from.

etc...

TL;DR

As I hope you can see, fixing local chat or removing it really isn't the problem here. CCP has interesting choice on there hands. They can fix simple gameplay mechanics and meta with a change to the DSCAN system without really needing to touch local. This would solve LOCAL's free intel problem, but would still keep the scouting meta fair for both sides of any engagement. Lastly, CCP could finally update and fix a very broken system and UI screen and update it with something fresh, new and much more user friendly. Along with the upcoming changes to sov and structures, I believe this could be something CCP could look at as a step in the right direction...

LVXE
Anhenka
The New Federation
Sigma Grindset
#2 - 2015-03-22 13:53:24 UTC
It honestly just sounds like you are mad that WH's need to do a ton of D-scan button mashing and decided to export that feature to null.

There is no balance in your proposal. The advantage lies entirely with the attacker, since in a system with any player traffic the local count will be fluctuating far too often for watching the number of people in local to be a viable indicator of when you need to scan.

So that leaves repeatedly and frequently mashing scan to see if someone has entered system that is not friendly.

Your supposed situation of someone sitting in a very quiet system knowing when to scan because local changed is also very much in the opposite direction of CCP's long term plan for denser, smaller player space, and is a poor example because of it.

As always, someones proposal to "balance" what he sees as an imbalance is a significant change to his own advantage.


-1. Let CCP show us their proposal for local changes with the new sov system before we go trying to "balance" it for your personal convenience.
Lugh Crow-Slave
#3 - 2015-03-22 16:19:31 UTC
i feel if ccp does anything with local it will be tied to a deployable

BLOPS Hauler
The 16.8km Bubble
Daichi Yamato
Jabbersnarks and Wonderglass
#4 - 2015-03-22 16:20:38 UTC
TL:DR
- Local still gives free intel
- D-scan provides pilot roster
- Using D-scan to probe but quicker and the victim cant see you probing.


Because everyone will use the solar system map for referencing anyways, the grid system could be completely replaced by just having d-scan results appear on the solar system map with a deviation. its simpler and neater.

Take off pilot numbers in local.

EVE FAQ "7.2 CAN I AVOID PVP COMPLETELY? No; there are no systems or locations in New Eden where PvP may be completely avoided"

Daichi Yamato's version of structure based decs
joecuster
Anime Masters
#5 - 2015-03-22 17:36:14 UTC
There is nothing wrong with the current system just stop being a bad.
Madd Adda
#6 - 2015-03-22 18:13:32 UTC  |  Edited by: Madd Adda
I don't think this'll work as the grids are dynamically formed and are far more than what you think there is. so i can't say if this can happen.

Carebear extraordinaire
Vixel
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#7 - 2015-03-22 19:07:05 UTC
Anhenka wrote:
It honestly just sounds like you are mad that WH's need to do a ton of D-scan button mashing and decided to export that feature to null.

There is no balance in your proposal. The advantage lies entirely with the attacker, since in a system with any player traffic the local count will be fluctuating far too often for watching the number of people in local to be a viable indicator of when you need to scan.

So that leaves repeatedly and frequently mashing scan to see if someone has entered system that is not friendly.

Your supposed situation of someone sitting in a very quiet system knowing when to scan because local changed is also very much in the opposite direction of CCP's long term plan for denser, smaller player space, and is a poor example because of it.

As always, someones proposal to "balance" what he sees as an imbalance is a significant change to his own advantage.


-1. Let CCP show us their proposal for local changes with the new sov system before we go trying to "balance" it for your personal convenience.




Lol, just no.

I don't care that I have to DSCAN. I'm just mad that the mechanic sucks so badly for something I do so often. It does provide balance. You just can't see that. The point of this game is player interaction. THIS forces more interaction between players. I don't care if I don't get kills from this method. This makes the actual method of finding someone to shoot more interactive. Ratting in nullsec is as safe as running level 4 missions because of the local mechanics as they are.

LVXE